Riot police sit on their pickup truck as they drive into the Cheikh Anta Diop University campus, which was closed to students today until further notice after clashes between students and security forces left one student dead during protests over stipends and other financial support amid the government’s fiscal challenges, in Dakar, Senegal, February 10, 2026. | REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
Violence erupted on Monday at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar as students demonstrating over delayed scholarships and poor living conditions confronted security forces. Abdoulaye Ba, a second-year medical student, died during the clashes, the government said in an official statement.
Government spokeswoman Marie-Rose Khady Fatou Faye expressed “deepest condolences” to Ba’s family and the broader university community, describing the incident as the result of “serious events” on campus and promising a thorough investigation to determine accountability. A press briefing with senior ministers is scheduled to address the situation later.
The unrest comes amid ongoing protests at multiple Senegalese universities, including in Saint-Louis, Thiès, and Ziguinchor, where students have rallied against stalled stipend payments and the removal of canteen services.
Footage shared on social media shows security forces firing tear gas into student housing as demonstrators responded with stones and other projectiles. UCAD authorities have announced closure of student residences indefinitely following the incident.
Student associations have accused police of brutality and allege that Ba was assaulted during a security sweep within his dormitory, though authorities have not confirmed the specific circumstances pending the inquiry.
The protests reflect broader frustration among Senegal’s youth over economic hardship, delayed state support, and perceptions of government inaction amid fiscal strain and stalled reforms.
